Apparatus for removing and replacing railroad ties



June 25, 1957 R. H. ABBOTT APPARATUS FOR REMOVING AND REPLACING RAILROAD TIES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1954 INVENTORS (WEE/W /-/-/7 880 T7 R. H. ABBOTT A June 25, 1957 APPARATUS FOR REMOVING AND REPLACING RAILROAD TIES Filed June -4, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR-S AOEER T/L BBOT ATTORNEY June 25, 1957 R. H. ABBOTT 2,797,054

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING AND REPLACING RAILROAD TIES Filed June 4, 1954 .4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TORS )FOEERT H- A 580T T June 25, 1957 R. H. ABBOTT 2,797,064

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING AND REPLACING RAILROAD T IES Filed June 4, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN T085 I ROBERT H. A550 7 7' ArraRA/E Y United States Patent APPARATUS FOR REMOVING AND REPLACING RAILROAD TIES Robert H. Abbott, Richmond, Va., assignor of one-third to James B. OBrien and one-third to Marshall A. Staples Application June 4, 1954, Serial No. 434,622 4 Claims. (Cl. 254-43) This invention relates to an apparatus for replacing old ties in railroad track beds with new ties and has for a primary object to remove old ties without raising the track by pushing the old tie through with a new tie, which follows the old tie into its original bed, or by pulling the old tie out and then pushing a new one into its place.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a tie removing and replacing machine which can operate from an on-track or off-track position and which develops sufficient power to remove and replace ties by sliding them out from under the undisturbed track.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a support, which is vertically adjustable and which is also adjustable at an angle from the horizontal to dispose the support at the desired height and angle relative to a tie and laterally extending from the track.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mule bed which is mounted on the support and axially adjustable therealong and which carries a reciprocable carriage or mule that has means connecting it to old ties which are pushed or pulled thereby out from under the tracks and for connecting it to new ties to shove or pull them into place in the original bed of the old tie under the tracks.

A further object of this invention is to provide a compact and sturdy machine which can be moved alongside and in a path substantially parallel with the track by a tractor moving along the road bed, and which can be operated to remove and replace ties in a minimum of time and with a considerable reduction in labor costs.

The foregoing and ancillary objects are attained by this invention, the preferred forms of which are set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein;

Figure l is a front end elevational view of'an off-track form of this invention.

Figure 1A is a fragmentary side view of the ratchet and release means for the elevating means.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a modified form wherein the raising and lowering of the support, instead of being manually effected as shown in the form of Figure l, is hydraulically actuated.

Figure 5 is an end elevational view thereof.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view thereof.

Referring now more particularly to .the drawings and initially to Figures l-3, the tie removing machine or apparatus includes a tractor 10 of the crawler type which is positioned on the road bed and moved in a path generally parallel with the track. The tractor 10 is merely illustrative, and shows one form of self-powered, mobile vehicle which may be used to support the tie removing mechanism and move it along the track. The tie removing mechanism includes beams 14 which project horizontally from the axle 12 of the tractor and on which a floor 16 is supported.

Vertical H-beams or standards 18 are secured to the outer ends of the beams 14 and extend upwardly above the fioor 16. Plates 20 and 22 are provided with guide wheels 24 which are rotatably mounted on axles 26 that extend laterally inward from the plates. The wheels 24 are rotatably disposed in the channels 28 of the beams 18.

Tubular members 30 and 32 are secured to the outer sides of the plates 20 and 22 and extend forwardly therefrom in axial alignment with the tractor. Tubes 34 and 36 are circumposed on the outer, projecting ends of the members 32 and 30. A pair of transversely spaced, longitudinally extending, parallel H-beams 38 and 40 are mounted on the tubes 34 and 36 at right angles to the tubes and to the tractor 10. The beams 38 and 40 are securely fixed on the tubes 34 and 36 and constitute a mule bed support. The beams have their flanges 42 fixed on the tube 34 and the tube 36 is provided with upstanding bolts 44 which project through longitudinal slots 46 in the flanges 42. The tube 36 is rotatable on the tubular member 30 and, due to its connection with the beams 38 and 40, is free to move to accommodate a movement of the beams out of a horizontal plane.

The beams 38 and 46) have confronting, spaced apart channels 48 in which spaced apart H-beams 50 and 52 are slidably disposed with their channels 54 in confronting, spaced apart relation. The H-beams 50 and 52 constitute a mule bed and are connected at one of their ends, their rearward ends, by a cross-bar 56 and at their forward ends by a front cross-bar 58.

The flanges of beams 50 and 52 and the flanges of beams 38 and 40 which are in sliding engagement with each other are formed with a plurality of registerable apertures 59, into which pins 61 are fitted to lock the beams 50 and 52 in adjusted positions in the beams 38 and 40. The mule bed can be longitudinally adjusted by withdrawing the pins and sliding the beams 50 and 52 in the channels 48 in a manner to be described.

A tie engaging member 60, hereinafter called the mule, is slidably mounted on the beams 50 and 52 by means of guide wheels 62 which travel in the channels 54. The member 60 is moved axially in the mule bed by a cable and drum arrangement. A guide pulley 64 is rotatably disposed on the cross-bar 58 and a guide pulley 66 is rotatably disposed on the cross-bar 56. A cable 68 is entrained over the pulleys 64 and 66 and is wound on a drum 69 which is rotatably journalled on the underside of the beams 38 and 40. The cable is secured to the mule at one point so that as the cable moves the mule moves with it. A bevel gear 70 is fixed on the drum 68 and is driven by a bevel pinion 72 which is fixed on a motor shaft 74. The shaft 74 is rotated by a motor 76 which is supported on the rnule bed support.

The mule 60 is provided at its ends with tie engaging means that includes platforms 75, which extend beyond the ends at the bottom of the mule and on which the end of a tie can be seated. The ends of the mule are also provided with projecting spikes 78 which can be embedded in the end faces of a tie to locate the mule and tie together in secure end-to-end relation. Also, the mule is provided with timber books 80 which can be secured to a tie to enable the mule to pull that tie out from under the rails, the spikes and platform being primarily used in the pushing of a new tie into the bed by the mule.

The beams 50 and 52 are provided with forwardly projecting arms 82 and 84 which are inclined upwardly and terminate in downwardly extending hooks 86 that are provided to hook over a rail, as shown in Figure l, and to anchor the tie removing mechanism and counteract the force reaction of the mule in pulling out or pushing out an old tie and inserting a new one. The beams 50 and 52 may be provided at both ends with such arms, since the mule may operate from either end of the mule bed.

To position the mule in proper end to end alignment with a tie and to enable the hooks 86 to be fitted over the rail, the mule bed support is vertically adjustable by means of the wheels 24 rotating in the channels 28.

The adjustment is obtained by means of a pair of shafts 88 and 89 which are journalled at their inner ends in a sleeve 90' and are journalled in bearing blocks 92 on the upper ends of the vertical beams 18. The shafts have hand wheels 94 'fixed thereon and are independently rotated thereby. The outer ends of the shafts have drums 96 fixed thereon and cables 98 carried by the drums are trained around guide pulleys 100 on the plates 20 and 22 and fixed to the beams, as shown at 102. Each shaft has a ratchet 104 which is controlled by a spring urged pawl 106 thatis operated by a release cable 108 which is controlled by a foot pedal 110. The foot pedals are positioned on the floor 16 on which workmen stand to operate the shafts88 and 89.

It can be seen that themule can be reciprocated by the motor and cable and drum arrangement to either pull out an old tie or push item. A new tie can be interposed between an old one and the mule, and as it is pushed into place, it will push out the old one. The mule can be positioned in 'the desired horizontal plane by the aforedescribed vertical'adjustment. In this respect, because of a sloping roadbed, su'pereleva'tion in the track or to dig a tie deeper under the rails it may be desired to place the mule bed support in an inclined plane rather than a horizontal plane. This can be effected by actuating the shaft 88' and not the rear one 89 and the beams 38 and 40 can pivot about the tube 36 by virtue of the bolt and slot connection. 7

If it is desired to move the'mule bed longitudinally in the mule bed support, the pins 61 can be removed, permitting the mule bed to slide'relatively to the mule bed support. The pins 61 are then placed in the registering holes 112 in the flanges of the beams 50 and 52 and the mule (see Figure 2) and lock the mule and mule bed together so that the actuation of the cable causes the mule bed to move relatively to the mule bed support.

In Figures 4 to 6, another means for supporting the mule bed support beams 38a and 40a is provided and wherein the beams are secured on brackets 114, which are the counterparts of the tubular members 30 and 32. The inner ends of the brackets are pivotally secured by a pivot rod 116 to the outer end of a boom 118. The boom is concentrically disposed in a tubular boom housing 120 in a manner so that it can rotate in the housing but is held against axial displacement by end collars 122. A cylindrical shaft 124 is secured to the inner end of the housing and disposed at right anglesthereto and is pivotally supported by suitable bearing blocks on the tractor a.

The boom housing can thus swing vertically about its inner end. Thevertical movement of the housing is effected by a hydraulic cylinder 126 which has a reciprocating piston rod 128 to which a flexible element 130 is attached. The element 130 is connected to the housing and passes over a guide pulley 132. The cylinder is of the double acting type and has flexible hoses 134 and 136 connected to its ends. The hoses extend from a valve bank 138, which is connected by a connection 140 to the supply tank 142. The fluid is fed by a pump 144, which is driven by a suitable connection by the tractor motor.

A hydraulic cylinder 146 is pivoted on the housing and has its piston rod 148 pivoted to arms 150 which upstand from the mule bed support. The cylinder 146 is connected by connecting tubes 152 to the valve bank 138. Hydraulic pressure applied to either side of the piston 4 through the tubes 152 will cause the mule bed support to rotate about rod 116 so that the mule bed support can be maintained in a horizontal plane regardless of the angle of the boom housing and the boom to the horizontal.

A gear 154 is concentrically fixed on the inner projecting end of the boom and is meshed with a pinion 156 which is driven by a reversible fluid motor 158 that is provided with fluid lines 160. Rotation of the pinion 156 in either direction will cause the boom to rotate within the boom housing and positions the mule bed support in inclined planes. The mule of this form may be moved longitudinally by the means, shown in Figures 1 to 3, or by any other means.

While the best known forms of this invention have been illustrated in the drawings and described herein, it is to be understood that such is merely by way of example and that other forms may be designed within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. In a device for forcing a tie into or out of position beneath the rails of a track which comprises connected ties and rails, the combination of a mobile support adapted to be moved in, a path which, when viewed in plan, is laterally displaced fromand substantially parallel with the rails of the track; a vertically movable and normally approximately horizontal guiding frame carried by said mobile support; means forming a longitudinal confining gui-deway on said frame; a tie-forcing element reciprocable in said guideway; power actuated means, reacting between said frame and the forcing element, and serving to cause said element to react upon a tie; means serving to connect said frame with a track rail; and related elevating and tilting means controlling motion of said frame relatively to said mobile support whereby the height and the inclination of saidguidewa'y may be changed to aline the forcing element with a tie to be forced.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the normally approximately horizontal guiding frame is constructed in telescopings'ections, one of which is the guiding frame proper, 'and the other of which is the means forming said longitudinal confining guideway, and means are provided operable to lock said sections against relative motion.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the related elevating and tilting means comprise two independently operable hoisting means reacting between said mobile support and said frame and engaging the frame at spaced points relatively to the length of the guideway.

4. The device defined in claim, 1 further characterized in that the power actuating means are reversible, the connection between the frame and track rail is, adapted to react in tension and compression, and the tie forcing element is equipped to apply pulling 'or pushing forces to a tie.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hesemann Feb. 21, 

